Richard Shelby announced yesterday that Watson Donald will serve as his new chief of staff, effective July 12. Donald previously served on the Senator’s staff as the national security advisor in his D.C. office. He most recently worked as the federal affairs manager for Alabama Power.
Shelby commented, “I am pleased to welcome Watson back to my team – this time as my chief of staff. Born in Mobile and most recently residing in Birmingham, he knows Alabama well and has a keen understanding of the issues impacting our state on a daily basis. I am confident in Watson’s leadership abilities and legislative expertise, and I look forward to what we can accomplish together over the next 17 months.”
Donald first joined Shelby’s staff in 2007. He most recently served as the federal affairs manager for Alabama Power and held positions as the senior director of external affairs and the director of government affairs for Southern Research. Donald also has legislative experience under former Congressman Jo Bonner and former Senator Jeff Sessions. He was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, and received his Bachelor of Science from Birmingham-Southern College. Donald and his wife and their two sons currently reside in Birmingham.
